


How to lose a Robin

by GoddessofRoyalty



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Batfamily (DCU), M/M, Male Lactation, Misunderstandings, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-10 16:03:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20854490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoddessofRoyalty/pseuds/GoddessofRoyalty
Summary: Damian is Bruce’s pup, but apparently that doesn’t stop Dick from ending up being the one actually caring for him. At least Roy is in town with Lian to provide some distraction from his rapidly decreasing freedom to be Robin.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: pre-Roy/Dick, past-Talia/Bruce
> 
> Tags: Omegaverse, breast-feeding (like one scene + excuse for plot)
> 
> Jason warnings: Jason kind of gets a crush on Dick, he also assumes Damian is Bruce and Dick’s child (he is wrong)
> 
> Massive thankyou to Catkir for the amazing art to go with my fic! Cannot believe how good it looks honestly!  
They posted their art here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/dcu_bang_2019/works/20862278 so go bookmark & tell them how great it is!

** Prologue  **

Bruce Wayne prides himself on being ready for anything. He's Batman, a non-powered superhero that has the respect normally reserved for only the most powerful. A position gained by being the most competent in every possible field.

Bruce Wayne has no idea what to do with the baby now in his arms.

The boy, Damian, is his. Or at least Talia says he's his. And Bruce sees no reason for her to lie about it seeing she knows he will run a DNA test as soon as he gets back to the Batcave just to be sure.

God, he has to get his infant son back to the Manor in one piece.

"Alfred," Bruce says into his comm, his mouth unusually dry, "did you hear that whole conversation?"

"Yes, shall I prepare a room for the new member to our pack?"

"No- just a crib in my room." Damian, while still certainly not a newborn, is so small in Bruce's arms. And the Manor so big. It's safer to have him start in Bruce's room where his father and the Pack Head can watch over him until he gets big enough to be able to have a room of his own.

"Very well. Are you returning to the cave immediately or continuing on your patrol?"

"Cave. I don't know when he was last fed." Talia had told him very little. Just that the boy's name was Damian, that he was Bruce's, and that it was no longer safe for him to stay with her. He had tried to convince Talia to come with him if it wasn't safe but she had refused - apparently there is something she wants to do that she cannot tell him.

Bruce tries not to think too much about what Talia is dealing with. She made it clear that it isn't his problem - only Damian is.

"I shall have a bottle prepared than," Alfred says and Bruce finds himself struck by just how grateful he is for Alfred.

"Thank you."

Bruce adjusts his hold on Damian so he is able to get down from the roof where he met the pup’s mother and her personal guards. The boy feels even smaller in just one of Bruce's arms but Bruce needs the other free to get them down safely.

He makes his way back to the Batmobile and realizes he doesn't have any way to strap Damian in for the trip back. Hell, he doesn't even have the child restraints that had been installed when Dick was younger seeing his Robin now nearly an adult. Just two full-sized seats with no way to secure his new son.

Bruce has driven one-handed a number of times in the past. He knows he can do it perfectly competently. Still the idea of driving with a baby in one arm while he steers with the other suddenly makes ice go through his veins.

The next upgrade to the Batmobile will definitively include some form of baby and child restraints that can be put in should Batman ever need to transport and infant or child. He mentally scolds himself for not already having done it - the possibility of that happening high enough that he should have already had a plan.

For now he holds Damian tight to him with one arm and carefully drives the Batmobile back. Drives it more carefully than he ever has before.

He still winces at every bump and sharp corner on the way home. Holds Damian tight against him and fears every time the Batmobile will overturn or he will lose his hold on the baby.

He makes it back to the manor only to discover that Damian had fallen asleep on the trip.

"Must have been a big day for him," Alfred says softly from Bruce's side.

"Yes." How far had Talia travelled in that day to get Damian to him? Had she been in Gotham for a couple of days waiting for the right opportunity or had she made the trip as quickly as possible - bringing Damian to Bruce while also minimizing the risk of the hand-over being noticed.

"I have a bottle heating up for him - considering the time of night it was a bit of a task to obtain formula," Alfred says and Bruce remembers just how late it is. Remembers that most of Gotham is asleep right now.

"Thank you Alfred."

"Yes, well, I had to get your old crib out of storage but I set it up in your bedroom as you requested," Alfred continues, "do you want me to take him while you get changed?"

Bruce is still dressed as Batman, although he dropped his cowl upon returning to the cave. Still his son is pressed against the firm armour of his suit and can't even smell his father's scent because of the blockers Bruce wears. All he is breathing in is the smog and grit of Gotham that inevitably covers the suit whenever Batman goes out into the city.

"Yes, please."

Bruce doesn’t struggle to hand Damian over to Alfred. Not because he doesn't feel an attachment or responsibility for the baby but because he trusts Alfred. Alfred is as much pack as Bruce is - there is no reason to doubt for even a moment that he will hurt the new child of the pack despite the fact the boy has only just arrived.

Bruce still cleans himself as quickly as possible. Stripes himself of his armour and scent-blockers and has a quick wash in the shower to get the bit of Gotham that sinks through even all his protection onto his skin off him.

The clothes he had originally laid out to change into after patrol are gone and instead replaced with an old, faded, Gotham Academy jumper and track-pants. Clothing that Bruce had owned for so long that no matter how many times it is washed the scent of him and pack cannot be removed. Alfred silently knowing that Bruce would want to have his and the pack's scent as strong as possible for Damian. That Bruce will want to coat the baby in his as quickly as possible.

Alfred is waiting for him in the Batcave once he is dressed. He hands Damian back over to Bruce and Bruce for a moment wishes he hadn't because Alfred looked so much more confident with the baby than Bruce feels. Damian is Bruce's son though, and as Head of Pack he should be able to hold a baby.

"Young Master Damian is still asleep, a feat considering all the jostling he's had tonight, might I suggest that you hold him to allow him to get accustomed to your scent and feed him when he wakes again?"

"Sounds good."

Bruce ends up sitting in the main living room of the manor, partially reclined on the lounge with Damian lying on his chest. The baby taking deep breathes of Bruce and his pack's scent in his sleep, hopefully becoming accustomed to it.


	2. Chapter 1

Dick has to admit it’s nice being allowed his own cases. Sure, it means nights of crashing in dingy safe-houses while knowing Bruce is home in the Manor. But it also means that Bruce respects and trusts him enough to run a case without backup of either Batman or his old Titans team.

That respect is totally worth the more tedious parts of running his own case. Including having to put on a disguise and take the long and back-tracking way home to ensure no tail will be able to figure out that Robin calls the Wayne Manor home.

At least he makes it back before lunch. 

Although – Dick certainly didn’t expect to see Bruce still at home when he arrived, seeing he should be at Wayne Enterprise dealing with his Board of Annoyances and not sitting in the dining room with a pup in his arms.

“Please tell me there’s a case-reason for you to be holding a baby right now,” Dick says, because that makes the most sense. Not that Dick wants to really think about what case would involve Batman bringing a baby _home_ with him.

“No, this is my son Damian, Talia dropped him off last night,” Bruce says. Like it’s just something that happens sometimes.

“Talia? As in Talia Al Ghul?” Sure Dick knew she and Bruce had chemistry. But Talia was still loyal to her father right? Or is she going to pop out all of the sudden now also living with Bruce?

“Yes. It is apparently too unsafe with her currently so Damian is going to be staying with us for the time being,” Bruce explains as Damian suddenly starts to squirm and wiggle much to Bruce’s apparent surprise.

Dick tries not to laugh as the great Batman pulls a face and tries to keep a small infant swaddled despite the babies clear plans otherwise.

“Give him here,” Dick says, deciding to show Bruce some mercy and help him instead of just laughing at his predicament.

Bruce looks reluctant and Dick tries not to let it cut that he still doesn’t have the inherent trust of pack from a man who has felt his Pack Alpha for years now. He’s Bruce Wayne’s student, not his son, and while technically part of the Wayne pack he still held on the periphery.

At least he is trusted enough that Bruce does hand Damian over and Dick adjusts the pup so he’s comfortable held against Dick’s chest. Softly bouncing him to keep him calm and less wanting to squirm.

“There you go,” Dick says as Damian settles, gently nuzzling at Dick to pick up the new scent that’s likely somewhat familiar from Bruce’s pack scent. Dick looks up to see Bruce watching him intently. “What?”

“When did you learn to do that?”

“You’d be surprised how many people are willing to hand over their babies to Robin. And then how many are just as willing to tell Robin he’s holding the baby _wrong_. I sort of just learned fast.” And that was before even considering how many babies he held while still a part of Haly’s – both from other performers and audience members.

“Right,” Bruce says.

“Do you have any idea how long he’s staying with you?”

“Indefinitely,” Bruce says in the way that Dick knows there’s more going on than necessarily on the surface. And he can guess what it is – Talia might well plan on just picking her son up once whatever danger she believes after him gone but that doesn’t mean Bruce plans on handing him back over.

“Well it looks like you’re staying with us little D,” Dick says down to Damian who has settled against his chest, apparently content about his exploration of Dick’s scent.

“What did you just call him?”

“Little D, you know ‘cause he’s so little and his name also starts with D. Don’t you want me to call him that?” Dick thinks the name’s cute – but Bruce doesn’t always agree with him choices in terms of names.

“No, it’s fine,” Bruce says in the stiff way that means there’s something more going on in his head than he’s letting on.

“Okay then, which room is he sleeping it?” The Wayne Manor is huge but Dick hopes Damian’s room is near his. Another body in the manor close by.

“In my room for now.” At least that means he’ll also be close to Dick’s. “Once he’s settled we can think about getting him one of his own.”

“Probably a good idea.” Better to let Damian get used to the scent of pack before putting him into one of the empty rooms of the manor where any pack-scent that had previously filled it has been lost.

“Hn,” Bruce says in agreement, and the conversation ends with it.

Which Dick is fine with. It gives him an opportunity to fuss on Damian. To bounce him and coo at him and lightly scent him. He knows Bruce is watching closely the whole time but Bruce never says or does anything to stop Dick from it – just watching.

“Can you watch him for a little?” Bruce finally speaks up to ask.

“Huh?”

“I need to help Alfred organise some things for Damian.”

“Oh, right, sure.” It wasn’t like Dick was against the idea of spending time with a pup and it was nice to know Bruce immediately trusted him with to be alone with his son.

“Thank you,” Bruce says before getting and going to do whatever it is he needs to do.

“Just you and me now little D,” Dick says, “what do you want to do?”

Damian pulls a face, which is honestly more of a response than Dick thought he would give considering how young he is. Although the smell that Dick picks up after is all he needs to know the face was less to do with his words and more to do with Damian filling his diaper. Right after Bruce left and Dick the only one there to change him.

Seriously – had Bruce’s Bat-sense let him know that it was about to happen and clear out beforehand? Dick knows it was likely impossible considering Damian having just arrived but he also knows he’ll never be able to shake the suspicion off.

* * *

“Morning Bruce, Alfred,” Dick says, walking into the main kitchen of the manor. “And good morning Little D.”

Damian grins and reaches towards Dick as he comes in to swoop the pup up into his arms, gently nuzzling against his cheek to pick up the subdued-milky scent of pup combined with the scent of their pack now well-covering him.

“Seeing how happy he is to see you would you mind feeding him this morning Master Richard?” Alfred asks as Dick settles Damian in against him.

“Of course,” Dick says, accepting the bottle once prepared and adjusting Damian so he can drink.

“He’s a natural,” Alfred comments quietly to Bruce but Dick still catches it.

“He is,” Bruce comments back, eyes watching Dick like he’s trying to figure something out. And if it wasn’t already clear it’s obvious they’re talking about him.

“Natural at what?”

“Handling a pup,” Alfred explains, “you’ve hardly faulted a second since the young master Damian has arrived. Unlike someone else, if I might say.”

Bruce’s face twists just slightly at the implication against him. “I’m doing alright,” he mutters not challenging it.

“That you are Master Bruce,” Alfred says, “but you must admit Master Dick is much more comfortable around the babe despite him being yours.”

Bruce goes to say something and Dick knows what it is – it’s because Dick is an omega, _of course _he’s more inclined to just know how to handle a pup than the alpha Bruce. Bruce closes his mouth before he actually forms the words though, which is for the best. Bruce is better than a lot of alphas but the two of them still have had their fair share of disputes about Dick having presented omega.

“He is,” Bruce settles on, getting up. “Have you finished that case you were working on?”

“Yes.” It had taken a little longer than Dick originally expected but he had finally managed to track down where the shipment of drugs originated from. “I’m just finishing up the report this morning – it will be ready for you by the time you get back.”

Bruce nods in agreement. “You will be patrolling with me again tonight?”

“’Cause. Can’t have the city thinking Batman no longer has his Robin can we?”

“No we can’t.”

* * *

“You haven’t seen me as Robin yet have you Little D?” Dick asks as the two of them walk down into the Batcave. Bruce already working down there on the pre-case work. “Don’t worry it isn’t scary at all like your dad’s is, I think you’ll like it.”

“Dick,” Bruce calls from where he is sitting at the main computer, already in costume and going over the last of their nightly patrol. “Give me Damian so you can get dressed.”

“Already on it boss,” Dick says, walking over to hand Damian to his father before going to get dressed.

When he comes back Damian reaches for him again.

“Did you miss me Little D?” Dick asks going to take him back from Bruce. Damian’s glee instantly turns to distress once in Dick’s arms.

“What’s the matter?” Does Damian not like the Robin costume? Dick tries to settle and sooth him but nothing seems to calm the pup down.

“I don’t think he likes the fact your scent is blocked,” Alfred says, walking down to take up his position for the night as their tech support. “His nose is telling him that you are not the person he thinks you are.”

“Is that it Dami? You don’t like my scent-blockers? You’ll understand why we wear them when you’re older – and who knows you might even be wearing the Robin uniform. I can be Batman, give your dad a break.”

“Don’t count me out just yet,” Bruce replies, not even looking up from the prep work he is doing.

“I mean, we can share.” That way Bruce didn’t have to always be so sleep deprived through balancing his responsibilities between Wayne Industries and Batman. Plus, Dick will probably have a family, and possibly pup, of his own by then – he mightn’t want to be Batman always as well.

“We can decide that later, for now let’s focus on tonight.”

“So we’re good to go?” Dick asks, stretching as he walks over to the Batmobile. He knows the answer to the question but it’s part of their ritual of the night to ask it anyway.

“We’re good to go,” Bruce replies getting into the driver’s seat. The two speeding out of the Batmobile to protect the Gotham streets while Alfred feeds them any information they need and settles Damian down for the night.

* * *

Dick notices it when he’s cuddling Damian one afternoon. Damian starting to squirm and fuss in the way that means it’s time for his bottle and Dick feels his breasts, that he had passed off the tenderness of as a puberty thing, start to leak.

“Uh, Alfred?”

“Yes Master Richard?” Alfred asks from where he’s in the kitchen working on dinner.

“Can omegas start lactating because of a pup in the pack that isn’t theirs?” Dick doesn’t even feel guilty for not just knowing – it’s not like that level of biology was covered in high school, nor ever relevant to a case. It’s the most logical deduction though.

“It’s certainly not unheard of. Although normally it is the Head Omega who will take up feeding any orphaned pups within a pack, which, now I think of it in terms of the current Wayne pack would probably be you,” Alfred says with a slightly sympathetic smile. “I suppose that puts you in a rather embarrassing predicament.”

“It’s not that bad.” It is a bit embarrassing and unfair – being 17 and having your body decide that it’s going to take up the job of feeding the pup of the pack because there’s no other omegas in it. But Dick has been in a lot of embarrassing and unfair situations after being taken in by Bruce and the Wayne pack’s all of two members. This ranks on the list but certainly not anywhere near the top.

“I guess you want me to feed you then,” Dick asks Damian who seems somewhat more settled now. Probably because he can smell the milk Dick’s producing. Brat.

“You don’t have to. We can still make him a bottle and there are medications available that can prevent your body’s reaction.”

“It’s fine, I’ll just feed him for now,” Dick says as he tries to figure out how exactly to allow Damian to feed.

It’s take a bit of manoeuvring but he finds a position that somewhat works. Although Damian still protests the shirt bunched on his face, too used to drinking from a bottle. He apparently gets over it pretty quick though.

“You’re a spoilt little prince aren’t you Dami? Getting whatever you want just like your father does.”

“They only get what others are willing to give them,” Alfred comments, but Dick pays him little mind.

\------------

“We might as well move Dami to my room,” Dick says, taking a break from the small case he’s working on. It’s a simple one and while that makes it easy, Dick is craving something more. Craving a case that he can really throw himself into again. Bruce needs him to do these shorter ones for him though so he can focus on his current on-going one, once that’s done though Dick should be able to get another big case of his own. “I mean I have to get up to feed him at night anyway.”

“Hn,” Bruce says from his own work. The same response he always gives whenever Dick feeding Damian gets brought up. Dick is taking it to mean that he’s fine with it. Although he isn’t completely sure. He’s probably the best person on the planet at reading Batman but even he struggles at times.

“If you’d prefer he stay in your room though that’s also fine.” Bruce’s room isn’t actually all that far from Dick’s. But it does require him getting up and walking across the hallway. Something that, with the cold of winter settling in, is becoming more unpleasant each night.

However he understands why Bruce would want to keep his son close. Between losing his parents, fear of Talia coming back for Damian, and general want to protect the pup of the pack he is Head of, Dick would completely get it if Bruce refused.

“No, you’re right, we should move him,” Bruce says after a minute. “I’ll help move his crib tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

* * *

“You’re not going out on patrol tonight,” Bruce says in his complete I-am-Batman-and-this-is-final voice.

“Why not?” There’s no reason why Dick shouldn’t go on patrol. He’s there and dressed and more backup is always a good thing.

“Damian will need a feed before he goes to bed and it’s easier for you to just stay to feed him instead of having to come back early,” Bruce says, continuing to get ready as if this is just some routine conversation that doesn’t actually matter.

“Or Alfred can give him a bottle.” Like he had any other night Dick had actually gone out on patrol. It was a system that worked perfectly fine and there was no reason for Bruce to go and change it.

“He could but it isn’t necessary. There is no reason to suspect this patrol will be anything but routine, I don’t need Robin tonight so you can stay here with Damian,” Bruce says and Dick sees red.

“You don’t need Robin? That’s bullshit Bruce and you know it. You need me out there with you because even if there’s nothing to suspect something might happen there’s always the chance and another set of eyes can help. Stop making excuses, I’m going on patrol with you.”

“I already told you I don’t need Robin tonight, and I certainly don’t need one who won’t even listen to my most simple order.”

“Order? That’s an order now? Because last I checked this was supposed to be a partnership and not a relationship where I jump when you say and babysit your pup when you don’t want me.” The words are coming from a place of frustration Dick knows, but he deserves his frustration. He loves Damian, he does, the pup adorable and the best baby brother he could ever ask for. But it feels like Bruce has silently decided that _Dick _will be the one raising Damian while he continues on as life as usual.

Which - fuck him, Dick’s 17. And he didn’t do anything to bring on Damian’s existence in his life – that’s all Bruce. It’s not fair that Dick ends up having to give up being Robin just because Bruce doesn’t want to give up Batman. Especially when neither of them actually have to.

Dick isn’t going to give up Robin no matter what Bruce says.

“Partners are supposed to listen to each other,” Bruce says.

“Yeah and they’re supposed to call each other out when they’re making a bad call.” And this is a bad call on top of being a selfish one. There’s a reason they try and always have two out at any time – a second set of eyes to make sure nobody can manage to sneak up behind them. It works and Bruce is putting himself in danger because he can’t fucking see past whatever it is that’s making him want to keep Dick grounded currently.

“Are you finished yet?” Bruce asks like Dick is an irrational child throwing a temper tantrum and not his partner making valid criticisms over Bruce’s stupid decisions.

“I don’t know – are you?” Dick isn’t the one that started this and screw Bruce for throwing it on him like it is.

Bruce stares at him for a minute and Dick knows he’s thinking through possible rebuttal. And Dick’s ready – ready to counter anything Bruce tries to throw at him as reasoning why he is right. Eventually Bruce apparently gives up trying to come up with an excuse and just sighs.

“I don’t have time for this now. You are not going on patrol until you can have a civil conversation about this.”

“Fine. I don’t want to go out on patrol with you anyway.” Dick wants nothing to do with Bruce right now.

He storms up to his room in the same way he’s sure Bruce storms to the Batmobile. Slams the door and sits on his bed trying to get himself to calm down to think it through more rationally.

His anger is valid, but he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do with it. He wants to leave Gotham – really get out of Bruce’s shadow. But he also doesn’t want to leave Damian. Not that he thinks Bruce would be unable to take care of Damian by himself, he totally would be. But Dick can admit he loves the pup and would miss him if he left.

His phone rings and when Dick sees who it is calling he immediately picks up.

“What’s up Roy?” Please say that Roy is working on some case that he needs Dick’s help with. A week or two out of Gotham would do Dick some good. Help him figure out what he wants to do with his life.

“You don’t sound in a good mood, what’s happening?” Roy asks.

“Just Bruce he’s being an ass.” At least with Roy he doesn’t have to explain it more than that. Roy gets frustrating mentors who just don’t get it. Dick’s grateful for that because he doesn’t really want to explain the whole Damian situation on the phone.

“That mean you’re still in Gotham?” There’s something about Roy’s voice that tells Dick that someone is going on and he really wants Dick to be in Gotham.

“Yeah. Why? “

“Nothing, I mean something has happened but it’s not bad-bad just... I need to reorganise my priorities and I think moving to Gotham for now is a good idea. If you’re still living there.”

“Sure, what do you need from me?” A case in Gotham isn’t exactly what Dick wants but a case with one of his old Titans teammates is probably what he needs. Someone who actually thinks themselves his equal and not the senior part of a so-called ‘partnership’.

“I don’t need you, I just... I want to be close so we can hang and talk, I guess. Look, I’ll explain the whole situation once I get there and you don’t need to be worried or anything I’m fine. I just want to see you again okay?”

“Okay.”

“Cool. Well I guess I’ll see you soon. I’ve missed you man.”

“Missed you too Roy.”

* * *

“People are starting to talk about how Robin isn’t being seen out anymore,” Barbara says as the two of them walk through the streets of Gotham drinking the ridiculously fancy ‘coffee’ that’s become the non-vigilante habitual drink for their hang-out sessions.

“It’s not that he’s down for good, just I’ve been busy.”

“With the pup of his?”

“It’s not Damian’s fault.” It’s not and Dick refuses to let any of his annoyance at the situation be held over Damian’s head – the pup innocent in it all. “Just Bruce seems to be treating me more as Damian’s babysitter and less as his partner.”

“You mean he’s treating you more like Damian’s _mother,” _Barbara corrects. “And you’re letting him.”

“I’m not letting him.”

“Damian’s sleeping in your room now and I was honestly surprised this morning that he wasn’t strapped to your chest when you showed up.”

“That’s not because of Bruce making me. I like spending time with Damian – he's a good pup and it’s nice to cuddle him.”

Dick can feel Barbara watching him closely. Knows that there is something she is thinking about, a conclusion about the situation she has come to that she isn’t ready to share.

“You really love that pup don’t you?” Barbara says after a minute, taking a conscious and controlled drink after.

“I do.” There’s no point hiding it – Dick loves Damian. Not as his own child but certainly a pup of the pack and a younger brother.

“Don’t let Bruce use him to manipulate you,” Barbara warns.

“I won’t.”

* * *

“So you must be Robin,” says the kid that Bruce brought home for some unknown reason. He’s just standing in the Batcave looking up at Dick and he even shouldn’t be there in the first place. “I didn’t think Robin was an omega.”

“That’s the point.” Dick’s sure some therapist would have a field day claiming that he was playing out some trauma over presenting as omega by pretending not to be on every night. But that’s not the reason – people not knowing Robin is an omega makes it even less likely that they’ll figure out that Dick Grayson is the one under the mask.

“Cool, I’m Jason Todd,” the boy says holding out his hand. And while Dick might be wary of him, and what Bruce’s intentions are of bringing him home, he isn’t rude enough to not respond, adjusting Damian so he can shake the offered hand.

“Nice to meet you Jason.”

“So what do you think the Bat Man bought me here for?” Jason asks looking around the Batcave like it’s the best candy store in town.

“I honestly have no idea.” Dick does have one idea, but he hopes he isn’t right about it.


	3. Chapter 2

What is he doing?

Roy knows the answer to that question in the physical sense – he’s sitting in a cheap motel in Gotham texting Dick to see if he’s free for lunch while idly searching for an apartment that he can both afford without calling Ollie for a loan and also isn’t going to be immediately shot at by whatever local gang calls that street home.

But what is he actually doing? What does he think is going to happen at the end of this? Dick just happily hanging out regularly with Roy despite him having the additional responsibility of a baby and Dick still just a regular teen held down by nothing apart from loyalty to Bruce? Both of them just happily ignoring the fact that Cheshire could at any moment decide she wants her daughter back and show up to achieve that?

God Dick is probably going to think Roy’s an idiot for getting himself in this situation in the first place. It should be common sense not to sleep with a villain – but he was in deep cover and Cheshire down deep under her assassin-surface is actually a really sweet person.

Roy has no regrets having Lian of course. Just-

Dick texts back that he’s free to meet Roy tomorrow for lunch and Roy knows Dick’s picked up that something has happened and is all kinds of concerned from how he texts. And Roy can’t explain to him that it’s nothing that he needs to actually worry about without explaining the situation and-

What is Roy doing?

He hears Lian start to fuss from the pillow-fort-crib he made for her on the floor, because the hotel doesn’t have any for him to even borrow, and Roy gets up to get her. Bouncing her in his arms as he makes her a bottle in the ‘kitchen’ of the room, which more just means it’s kettle-shelf.

“You’re going to get to meet Dick tomorrow,” he tells his frankly tiny infant daughter. “He’s going to love you, that I’m sure of. I just don’t know if whether he’s going to also hate me so I guess we’ll find out together yeah?”

* * *

“Well you clearly didn’t sleep much last night.” For the first thing Roy says upon seeing Dick in years it sure isn’t the most classy, but hey, he recognises how Dick looks when he hasn’t been sleeping super reliably and this is that look. “Big case?”

“Something like that,” Dick says. “You don’t look much better.”

“No I guess I don’t.” Lian, while not a newborn is still young enough to wake throughout the night because she’s hungry or just wants attention. And Roy is still figuring out how best to work his sleeping schedule to compensate for that fact. “It’s good to see you though.”

“It is,” Dick says, and he pulls Roy into a hug that Roy happily accepts.

The hug is short but long enough for Roy to catch Dick’s scent and the ache he didn’t realise he had at missing it suddenly alleviates.

God he missed him.

“So what was it that you wanted to tell me?” Dick asks once they finally pull away.

“Oh, right, come back to my table and you’ll see.”

Dick raises his eyes but he does follow Roy back to the table. And okay, Roy might not be getting father of the year for leaving his newborn daughter alone at a table in a pretty low-grade café but he was only two meters away and needed to talk to Dick first before he brought up the ‘hey I have a daughter’ thing.

Going by how Dick freezes up when Roy picks Lian up he’s pretty sure he figured it out.

“Uh, well, Dick, meet Lian,” Roy says, holding Lian as comfortable as he can while still keeping her completely visible to Dick.

“How?” Dick asks so softly.

“When I was undercover, my, uh, my mark and I, well, yeah.” Eloquent explanations are very clearly not Roy’s forte. Not that he didn’t already know that.

“Who?” Dick asks and Roy honestly counts himself lucky he hasn’t been decked for it yet. But like – he’s sure he’s still in for a chance.

“Cheshire.”

_“Roy.” _Dick has always been able to put such disappointment into such few words. And Roy is so feeling the guilt on his corner.

“Yeah, I know.”

Dick sighs and sits down. “But I can’t actually judge.”

Which okay, is weird. Because 1- as much as Roy loves him that has never stopped Dick before; 2- as far as Roy knows Dick has never done something even in the same realm of comparison to that.

“Why not?”

Dick pulls out his phone and shows Roy a picture of a black-haired, dark-skinned baby not much older than Lian. “That’s Damian – Talia dropped him off to Bruce a couple months ago.”

“So he’s Bruce’s and… Talia’s?” Well at least Batman won’t be able to imply Roy’s a bad influence because of Lian. Not that he can’t still do it about everything else.

“Yes.”

“That’s Bruce’s mistake, not yours.”

“Well he’s treating it like it’s my responsibility,” Dick says, and Roy gets the feeling it’s a good thing he’s come to Gotham now because Dick clearly needs someone to vent to about his mentor.

“How?”

“It’s my job to look after Damian these days. I mean Bruce and Alfred help but I’m doing most of it. Which was fine, but Bruce isn’t letting me go out anymore he’s even got some new kid to be Robin.”

“He’s what?” That’s it. Roy is going to have to fight Batman. He can’t believe Bruce would do that to Dick – after everything Dick had done for him. All the pressure put on him to be the prefect sidekick to match Batman’s infallible image. All the stress to be the one in charge despite being a kid.

Except Roy can totally believe Batman had done it because Bruce Wayne is a jerk. The other alpha never deserved to have Dick in his pack.

“Look Jason isn’t a bad kid I guess. But that was _mine¸ _you know? And Bruce just gave it to him like it was nothing and the kid’s just taken it.”

“Bruce is a fucking ass,” Roy says sitting across from Dick. “He doesn’t deserve you I swear.”

“Yeah well, I can’t just leave. Not with Damian-“

“He isn’t your kid.” Roy is probably in the best positon to understand the distinction considering he’s holding Lian now. His kid and his responsibility. He couldn’t imagine just dumping that on someone else because he didn’t want to deal with it.

“I know, but I guess I’m too attached to him. I don’t think Bruce would neglect him if I left I just, I’d miss him too much.”

“So you’re stuck.”

“Pretty much,” Dick says with a sad smile.

“Well that settles it, me and Lian are sticking here in Gotham,” Roy says, settling into his seat dramatically to try and lighten the mood for Dick a little. “That way if Bruce starts acting like too much of an ass you can just come to mine and we can bitch about him and start planning your new identity.”

“Roy you don’t have to,” Dick says.

“No, seriously, it’s not like I have anywhere else I especially have to be. Gotham’s… well it isn’t fine but it’s got you, and I’m sure if things get really bad we can convince Wally over to join our bitch-fest as much as he might get all high and mighty on us. Plus, you can bring Damian around and Lian can have a friend that I don’t have to then have the awkward conversation about where my omega is with their parents.”

Dick laughs and Roy counts that as a win.

“Look at us,” Dick says, “planning playdates for two babies.”

“We’re really growing up aren’t we?” Roy asks. “Not just some kids running around in short-shorts anymore.”

“I guess not.”

* * *

“He really already has the Bat-glare down,” Roy says as a very-sullen Damian stares up at him from the floor of his living room.

“He does,” Dick agrees from where he is in the kitchen making coffee. “Bruce doesn’t agree with me, but Alfred and Jason do.”

“Jason? The kid – even he can recognise the Bat-glare?” If even the brat of a pup that stole Dick’s mantle can recognise it, Bruce really doesn’t have any leg to stand on denying that his son hadn’t already inherited the Glare.

Dick hums before coming back into the living room. “Oh, that one means he needs changing.”

“Wait seriously?” Roy asks completely failing to hold back laughter. “Please tell me it means the same thing on Bruce.”

Dick gives him a dry look as he goes to pick up Damian and collect the bag he brought with him. “No on Bruce it means the situation he’s in isn’t to his liking – which I guess in a way is the same thing.”

“Man you gotta’ ask Alfred if he already had the look when he was a baby.”

“I have,” Dick says, “it was.”

Roy ends up on his side from how he’s laughing at the image of a young Batman pulling the same sullen face his son is because his diaper was full. Tears gathering in his eyes from it.

His laughter is broken by Lian all-but wailing on the floor and Roy is up to gather her immediately. Dick watching carefully from where he’s in the middle of changing Damian.

“It’s okay baby girl, I’m not sad, just laughing,” Roy says bouncing Lian to try and sooth her. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

It takes a bit but Lian does settle, resting her head against Roy’s chest when she does.

“Crisis averted,” Dick jokes as he finishes up changing Damian, carrying him over to rest against his chest when he sits next to Roy.

“More scary than any bomb I’ve faced. Once she gets worked up there’s really no stopping her until she works through it herself.”

“Just like her father than,” Dick jokes again and Roy reaches over to gently whack at his arm. “Hey! Baby!”

“Yeah you are a big baby.” Roy grins and ducks when Dick goes to throw a light hit back at him.

“Why should I keep visiting you if you’re just going to be mean to me?” Dick asks, but Roy knows it’s all tease.

“Because you love me.” That was a bit strong, probably should tone it back somehow. “And you know nothing is going to piss Bruce off more than taking his son to come hang out with me and my bad influence.”

“You’re not a bad influence Roy.”

“I didn’t say that, I said Bruce sees me as a bad influence,” Roy corrects. Not that he isn’t sure Bruce isn’t partially right. Just, Roy is trying to get his shit together now for Lian and he thinks he’s somewhat succeeding at not being a complete screw up these days.

Dick gives him a look but doesn’t say anything which means Roy is right in Bruce still not liking him.

Which is fine Roy doesn’t much like him either.

* * *

“Seriously what does Bruce think of you and Damian hanging out with me so much?” Roy asks as the two of them enjoy a ‘clear’ day in Gotham in the park, which is just a day where you can see the sky if you get lucky and the right angle through the smog. Because he can’t keep not knowing exactly how much he’s getting under the other alphas skin for this.

Bruce deserves it for being an ass to Dick. But Roy can admit at least a little of it is based on the petty dislike he’s always had for the man. A jealous dislike based on his frustration that Dick always used to default back to Bruce and Bruce’s judgement.

But hey, Roy isn’t the asshole in this situation trying to lock Dick up to mother his kid.

“He’s not happy,” Dick says, as he offers Damian a different toy after the first was rejected by the baby. “Mostly because of Damian I think. But if I’m not allowed to go out on patrol because Damian needs a night-time feed, then Damian has to come with me when I visit you in case I want to stay out past his lunch-time.”

“What are you going to do about that?” Roy asks as he goes to prise the grass Lian seems she wants in her mouth from her hands.

“About what?”

“About Robin. You know you could just go out without Bruce. I could look after Damian if you wanted, and I’m pretty sure Alfred would as well. It’s not like you don’t already have everyone’s respect as Robin, if you made it clear there’s a new one he’d have to actually prove himself instead of just borrowing off your work.”

Dick doesn’t respond immediately but Roy can tell he’s thinking about it. And Roy isn’t going to rush him on any conclusion – he gets needing time.

“I don’t know if I want to be Robin again though,” Dick finally says. “I mean, yes, it was my name and Bruce just handed that off and that sucks. But I’m also not a kid anymore. Maybe I’ve outgrown it a bit.”

“I get that.” Roy really does. “I feel the same way. I want to do something to help people but I don’t know if Speedy is the way to do it anymore. I tried the spy thing and well that didn’t go terribly but it wasn’t right either. And now with Lian I guess I want to be able to choose what I do and when I do it.”

“At least we can figure it out together,” Dick says, picking up Damian as the baby begins to fuss.

“Yeah, guess we can.” Is a Roy-Dick partnership a bit too much wishful thinking on Roy’s part? Probably. But it’s nice to know that Dick at least trusts him as a confident in his identity-crisis.

* * *

“I missed this,” Dick says after Roy manages to pin him to the mat they laid out in the main living room of his apartment for long enough for it to be claimed his victory. Lian and Damian taking a mid-day nap in Roy’s bedroom.

“Yeah?” Roy says, working _hard_ to keep it from going to his head. Or to his groin. “Doesn’t Bruce spar with you anymore?”

“Rarely,” Dick says as Roy gets off him thankfully before he starts spotting any sort of erection from the closeness to Dick’s body and his unblocked scent. “And he always seems to be holding back when he does.”

“Well great, now I feel terrible about you winning the first four times,” Roy says offering his hand to help Dick up, not that Dick needs it.

“It’s not like you’ve had much of a chance to spar for a while, unless you have a secret partner I don’t know about,” Dick says, taking Roy’s hand and tugging himself up.

“No secret sparring partner.” No secret any partner. “What about the brat-pup?”

“What about Jason?”

“Do you ever spar with him?”

“No. I don’t think he wants to much, he tends to avoid me a bit currently.”

“Probably ashamed of what he did to you,” Roy says, going over to get his drink bottle from the coffee table they moved to the corner.

“I don’t think Jason actually meant it,” Dick says just standing on the mat. “I mean he doesn’t know that Robin was the name I choose and not what Bruce gave to me. I think he’s had a go at Bruce a few times when Bruce gets particularly dumb about what I can do.”

“Really? Brat’s got teeth.” Okay Roy feels a little fond of the kid now. He remembers how intimidating the Bat can be before you get to know him and realise how much of an overblown jerk he is. For the kid to already be challenging his authority he’s got to have some balls.

“I’m pretty sure he’s going to be an alpha,” Dick says and Roy understands how that adds a level of burn to the Robin mantle being given to the new kid. Dick may like being an omega but Roy knows he sometimes feels like he doesn’t fully belong as Robin for it. Doesn’t deserve to be Batman’s apprentice and the ex-Leader of the Teen Titans.

“Yeah?” Roy knows to wait until Dick gives more indication that he’s feeling self-conscious about this. Knows if he goes to reassure too fast Dick will see it as a slight.

“Yeah and if Bruce thinks my teenage rebellion was bad he’s going to have his hands full with Jason,” Dick says with a smile, easily sliding back into and opening stance and Roy knows this conversation is over and Dick wants to just work out his emotions in a spar.

“I don’t know how he’ll ever top you,” Roy says, going back over to the mat for another round. “But if you think he’s not too bad maybe give him a chance and actually talk to him. Bring him ‘round here and we can show him how to actually deal with over-controlling mentors.”

“You know what? I might take you up on that,” Dick says and then lunges. Roy only just dodging to the side in time to not have the thrown punch land.


	4. Chapter 3

Look – Jason’s not an idiot. He knows when a person doesn’t like him.

And Dick? Clearly doesn’t like him.

Which is, whatever. Jason gets it’s probably not him personally the Head Omega of Wayne’s pack hates but the fact he showed up while the dude was clearly still getting used to taking care of his pup. He also doesn’t seem that happy about Jason being his sub for Robin going by the screaming matches Jason often overhears between Dick and Bruce.

Can Jason appreciate that Wayne was probably a bit of a jerk about the whole thing? Yeah, sure. You’re supposed to talk to the other Pack Head before making a decision like bringing some street-rat pup home. But the thing is, that isn’t Jason’s fault.

But, whatever, maternal hormones and whatever.

Point stands is that Dick’s really acting up to his name and Jason is mostly just trying to avoid him. Which is pretty easy considering the omega spends a good amount of his days visiting his friend who moved into town.

Still Dick lives in the manor and so does Jason. And Jason refuses to live differently just to avoid a pissed off omega.

Which makes breakfast an awkward affair most days.

Bruce is holding Damian today. Sitting at the head of the table as he reads through the newspaper the baby in the crook of his arm.

“I’m going out with Roy around lunchtime for a play-date,” Dick says and Jason has a feeling he knows what is coming.

“Absolutely not,” Bruce says. And Jason quickly gathers up his near-empty bowl to take to the kitchen. The last thing he wants is to be caught in the middle of an argument of the two of them.

“Why not?” Jason can hear the complete challenge in Dick’s voice and he’s already well learned how little Bruce enjoys being challenged.

“Because it is my day off and I want to spend it with my son.”

There’s a loud bang of Dick hitting the table and Jason contemplates going back to take Damian and bring the pup into the kitchen with him and Alfred. He doesn’t want to go back into the room though with the two of them so clearly heated.

He glances at Alfred for some queue as to how to react. But the butler doesn’t seem too concerned, instead working on cleaning the kitchen of the small mess that making breakfast creates.

“Should we do something?” Jason asks when the yelling in the other room gains a louder volume.

“Unfortunately I don’t think there is much we can do,” Alfred says. “The two of them need to work it out themselves and trying to convince them to actually talk to each other is futile.”

“Oh.” It’s funny to think that the heroes that protected Gotham are just as much in a terrible relationship as most of the city’s citizens.

Alfred sighs, apparently picking up Jason’s thoughts because he’s as much a mind-reader as Wayne can be. “This is what happens sometimes when pups grow up. Master Bruce wants to keep his pup around but Master Dick needs space to find himself.”

“And Damian?” The pup stuck in the middle of it all.

“Yes, unfortunately he makes it more complicated,” Alfred says, “but I’m sure they will have re-established their pack-positions into one less hostile before he gets old enough to actually be effected by it. Right now he gets play-dates out of it so I doubt is much bothered.”

Honestly Jason hopes he’s right. Because while this might be better than living on the street for him he knows it’s still not right.

* * *

Jason told himself he wouldn’t get involved in the pack spat that was happening. He was there to help Wayne be Batman and didn’t need to stick his nose in where it didn’t belong and certainly wasn’t appreciated.

He had done pretty good at it as well, but Dick was always going out with _someone _for his and Damian’s ‘playdates’ and Bruce always looked like someone had shoved a particularly prickly cactus up his ass whenever Dick left and Dick always came back looking so happy. And okay Jason’s curious about who exactly this ‘Roy’ Dick keeps going out to hang with is. He’s met Babs and she seems fine as much as she doesn’t seem to like him much either. He wants to at least know what this dude is like.

Faking sick to follow Dick one day when Bruce is at work and he should be at school is probably not the right way to go about it. But Alfred gave him a sly smile when Jason suddenly got taken down by uncontrollable coughing this morning so he’s going to take it as permission.

Thankfully today’s playdate is at the park so Jason doesn’t even need to commit a B-and-E to be able to see what they’re doing. Instead just hiding behind some bushes trying to play it casual like he’s just chilling there and not at all spying on anyone. Not that he thinks anyone else in the park would really care if he was.

“Bruce still being the worst?” the man Jason assumes is most likely Roy says. And okay, Jason can understand a little of why Bruce is pissed. The dude looks like the sort you wouldn’t want hanging around your omega – strong with rough-cut red hair and a solid alpha scent. Sure he’s not as big as Bruce but Jason is pretty sure he’s involved in the whole hero gig as well.

Honestly Jason thinks he looks pretty cool.

“He had a complete blow up about me going to see a movie with Babs last night,” Dick says and Jason remembers that argument.

“Bastard,” ‘Roy’ says which Jason agrees with about this time.

“And now he’s sent Jason to follow me today because I can’t be trusted to go to the park with one of my best friends.”

Shit. Busted.

“Bruce didn’t send me,” Jason explains after he gets himself out of the bush and standing in front of them.

“Then why are you here?” Dick asks, arms crossed.

“I don’t know, guess I just wanted to see where you went all this time. Not much else to do in my free time.” Yes, that sounds totally convincing. 

Roy snorts. “Yeah absolutely nothing else to do in the Wayne Manor. God and to think Bruce made _him _Robin instead.”

“It’s not my fault he needed a fill-in!” Doing so well proving yourself a person able to be Robin there Jason. Firing up at the first moment of perceived aggression.

“He didn’t need a fill-in. I’m Robin,” Dick says.

“You’re busy with your pup!” Jason knows what the deal is – he’s Robin while Dick needs to look after Damian. Once Dick is ready to take it back Wayne will probably just dump Jason back on the street he found him.

“Wait,” Roy cuts in before Dick fires back with whatever it is he was going to say. “You think Damian is Dick’s?”

“Yes.” That was kind of obvious.

“He clearly looks like a mini-Bruce through!” Roy picks Damian up with it staring at the baby like he’s trying to figure out where Jason is coming from.

“Yes?”

“Oh wait-“ Roy looks up from Damian to Jason. “You think he’s both of theirs?”

“He’s not?” Look nobody flat-out told Jason that Dick was Damian’s mother but he clearly is. The way Dick’s face has curled though makes him really start to think otherwise.

“No. God no kid. I get that they fight like a married couple half the time and Bruce has really just dumped Dick with the responsibility of Damian but he’s not Dick’s pup by blood.”

“Oh.” Well Jason just looks like an idiot now. Just great.

“Why aren’t you Robin anymore then?” Jason asks Dick.

“Ain’t that just the million dollar question,” Roy says, carrying Damian over to where a baby girl is sitting on the grass and Jason has a feeling she’s the ‘Lian’ that gets mentioned from time to time.

“I don’t know,” Dick says. “He says it’s because he doesn’t want me to out when Damian needs feeding but-“

“It’s because you’re an omega,” Jason says and realises he might of made a mistake from the glare Dick and Roy send his way. “I’m not saying I agree with it. Just that’s why he’s doing it.”

“Well at least the pup isn’t completely oblivious,” Roy says, and Jason just barely resists the urge to snap about it.

“That’s what we think at least,” Dick says with a sigh.

And on one hand Jason gets it. The world’s cruel especially to omegas. On the other he remembers seeing Robin just once when he was a kid and would never think the person who had been wearing the costume at the time would ever need protecting from the meanness of the world. 

* * *

“You should take Dick,” Jason says once Bruce finishes explaining the mission to him.

“No I want you,” Bruce says back automatically.

“Don’t be stubborn man. You want me, with no external input from you, to sneak into a high-tec lab that may or may not have a world-class merc on its books to not just disable its alarms but also find where they’re keeping their paper records and get them out. All without getting caught. Last week we were still on ‘how to hit a guy properly so he goes down and stays down but doesn’t also die’. Get Dick to do it.” Jason wants to do his best, he does. But even he recognises the point ego becomes stupidity, and when there is the more experience option available this one should probably go to him. Let Jason bash up some guards on the side while Dick does the frankly insane and also kind of awesome body-pretzeling-spy-work he’s seen him do on some of Bruce’s recordings of missions Dick went on.

“I have complete faith in you,” Bruce starts and Jason does not resist the urge to roll his eyes. “And you’re Robin.”

“Yeah, and so is he – last I checked he’s just been benched and’ll still be able to fit into his shorts.”

“I want you-“

“No. You want another Dick. But this time an alpha. And, look, I’m happy to be Robin – god knows I love the freedom it gives me. But I’m not him. And he’s upstairs when you can admit you need him.”

“I don’t need him,” Bruce says in what is possibly the biggest lie Jason has even been told by him.

* * *

In the end Jason ends up going. And turns out that, yeah, the lab did hire a mercenary. And also having your ass kicked by a mercenary hurts a bit more than having it kicked by a regular goon. And also seems to give you a trip to being stitched up by Alfred’s hands as Dick and Bruce yell at each other just outside in the main part of the cave.

“How long do you reckon it’ll take for Dick to manage to get the stick out of Bruce’s ass and effectively beat sense into him with it?” Jason asks as Alfred works on stitching up his last mercenary-given-knife-wound.

“Master Bruce is notoriously stubborn,” Alfred says, which great – likely never than. “But Master Richard has a habit of wearing people down to seeing his position. And right now he has the bigger group of helpers in his task.”

“Well, I certainly hope it’s before the next stealth mission. I’m trying but I don’t think I’ll ever be as flexible as Dick is.”

“That, I assure you, is a position many who know Master Richard hold.”

* * *

“You free?” Dick asks, leaning against the frame of Jason’s doorway.

“Yeah why?” Jason had finished his homework about an hour ago and is now just reading to kill time until Bruce came home and told him whether he was going on patrol tonight or not.

“Get changed into sweats and meet me down in the cave.” Jason should probably be offended in how it almost sounds like an order. But, honestly, he’s scrambling to get dressed as Dick heads down without him. There is no way he’s missing whatever opportunity this is.

He gets to the Batcave in what is probably record time to find Dick by the gymnastic equipment.

“Bruce has already taught me how to use that stuff,” Jason says and immediately regrets it because he wants Dick to like him. And this is Dick, the former Robin, offering to _teach him_. Even if he already knows it he should grab this opportunity and fucking run with it.

“Not like me he hasn’t,” Dick says with a clever smile. And Jason truly understands why he’s in the centre of an Alpha-off between Bruce and Roy. For a moment Jason wants to throw his not-even-presented hand in the ring as well despite knowing he has absolute 0 chance of actually winning it.

“Alright, show me what to do.”

And, look, Jason just wants the record to note that he had seen Dick out in action in person as Robin once. _Once. _And that one time involved beating up some goons and then hopping up onto a rooftop and vanishing into the night. Which he’s now well learned is more the bread and butter of being Robin and not the true action of it.

Because seeing Dick now? Jason understands why people used to say Robin was probably a meta Batman had picked up because Dick can fucking _fly. _

Not actually. Looking close Jason can see where Dick is gripping and swinging his way through the gymnastic equipment. But fuck if it isn’t close enough.

“Remind me to never play ‘the floor is lava’ with you,” Jason says when Dick finally dismounts.

“Sure,” Dick says with a slightly out of breathe smile and Jason _really _gets why Roy would move all the way to _Gotham _just to be near him. “Your turn?”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Copy what I just did,” Dick says, and apparently picks up on Jason’s complete doubt at his ability to do so. “Or at least try to.”

“I’ll try but no laughing if I fuck up.” Because, seriously, he’s not convinced anyone but Dick can do what he just did.

“Promise not to,” Dick says, but the slight smile on his face says he’ll get at least a little pleasure out of Jason’s failure.

Jason soon learns that trying to learn to move like Robin _hurts. _And after that he gets to learn that learning to _fight _like Robin instead of Batman also hurts.

“You did well,” Dick says as Jason lies on the floor of the Batcave all dramatic like because he knows he’s allowed to now.

“Yeah?” Jason asks sitting up as Dick walks over.

“Yeah, we’ll make a Robin of you yet,” Dick says and he ruffles Jason’s hair and god damn does it feel good to be accepted by him.

Which is stupid because Jason’s never been one to crave acceptance and yet here he is. Wanting the omega of the pack to like him more than the Head of it. Wanting to be considered worthy of the Robin mantle by its only other holder.

* * *

“Does Bruce know we’re here?” Jason asks as he, Dick and Roy all walk down the stairs from one of Bruce’s safe-houses to what is apparently a secret extra Batcave hidden in Gotham. The two former heroes carrying Damian and Lian respectively, and Jason loaded up with bags of… well he doesn’t know what yet.

“If he doesn’t he will soon,” Dick says, nodding towards a camera watching down on them.

“And what’s he going to think when he realise we brought _him _with us?” Jason asks with a head nod towards Roy to make it absolutely clear they know who he is talking about.

Roy gives a snort. “Look Bruce doesn’t like me, that message I’ve well received. But he still has to respect me as a hero and trust Dick’s judgement about who he brings down here.”

“Right,” Jason says but he isn’t convinced.

“Worst Bruce will do is yell at me about it,” Dick says, before stopping short. “Through this door.”

Dick opens the door to reveal a shooting range. And okay Jason has some idea of what he’s probably going to be doing today. He did look into who Roy was and Green Arrows ex-sidekick plus a shooting range kind of has an automatic assumption.

“I think he’s figured it out,” Roy says with a small grin to Dick. He nods his head over to what is clearly the starting spot. “Just dump the stuff there while we get these two settled.”

Roy takes Damian from Dick while Dick unfolds a picnic mat in the corner of the room. Sitting down and accepting the two babies back from Roy.

“Daddy’s just going to be over there baby-girl teaching a baby Robin to shoot,” Roy says, “be good for Dick for me.”

“Roy she’s your child – she’s probably going to try and go join you,” Dick says, and Jason watches as Roy’s attention goes from his daughter onto Dick with the same amount of soft affection on his face.

“Well then I guess Damian is the only one not going to be enjoying the view,” Roy says.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Dick replies, with a dumb flirty smile of his own and Jason is not here to be their third wheel.

“Hey can we get to the bit where you teach me how to shoot a bow?”

He does succeed in getting the two to stop flirting with each other, although Roy still has a cocky strut about him as he comes over to Jason.

“Who said we were starting with a bow?” Roy asks, pulling a throwing knife from the side-pocket of one of the bags and throwing it dead in the centre of the target.

Which – alright. Jason can admit that he probably deserves to be cocky about that.

“Show off.” The fact that Roy has every right to be cocky about it doesn’t make him any less of one.

Roy just shrugs before handing another knife over to Jason.

“I know that being Robin you’re probably not going to need to use a bow and arrow all that much, but you will have Batarangs, and whatever else you can get your hands on to lob at the enemy or ‘off’ button on the world-ending machine.”

Jason learns a couple of things that day. Firstly, and most obviously, some more tips and tricks for how to throw various projectiles at their intended target. Secondly, bows are kind of hard to use at first and going by some of the wild stories Dick and Roy tell he’s kind of glad he’s learning now and not in the middle of a fight. Thirdly, Dick was right that Roy’s pup seems to get absolute glee at watching people throw potential lethal objects at a target.

And fourthly, that Roy and Dick can flirt for hours without even noticing.

Which is fine, Jason can ignore it especially seeing the cool tricks Roy shows him for it. But he also doesn’t know how the two of them haven’t seemed to have noticed it.

“So how was that?” Dick asks as they finish packing everything up and head out of the safe house.

“Pretty cool. Certainly more than Bruce ever taught me.”

“Here’s the secret kid,” Roy says, “us sidekicks have to trade skills or else we’d never be able to out-beat our mentors.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. What do you think we spent most of our time with the Titans doing? I mean yeah we fought a lot of bad guys as well but we learned off each other,” Dick says, bouncing Damian to try and get him to go to sleep. “And if you’re going to be Robin it’s only fair we hand what we learned down to you.”


	5. Epilogue

_Bruce _

“Alfred,” Bruce calls as he walks into the kitchen where Alfred is making breakfast. “Where’s the boys?”

He had looked through the whole house. Or at least the bits of it that it could be reasonably expected they would be in. Going to gather them to have their first breakfast together for a while. And they were all gone. Dick, and Jason, and _Damian_ gone. He is about ready to go down into the Batcave to check their tracking devices, but figures it’s better to ask Alfred first in case he knows instead.

“I believe they slept over at Master Harper’s last night,” Alfred says like it’s no big deal.

“What?”

“I know Masters Richard and Damian left to visit him after lunch and Master Jason asked to take some food to cook them all for dinner. Considering none of them returned home after that I presume they instead elected to stay over.”

“Why didn’t any of them ask me?” Bruce is the Head of the pack. With the added danger of their lives as vigilantes he especially needs to know where his pack members are.

“I suppose you haven’t noticed considering how busy you have been with your two jobs, but they haven’t felt the need ask you to sleep over at Master Harper’s house for a long time.” Alfred’s tone alone is all Bruce needs to know that he’s fucked up. Not that he has any greater idea of what it is he messed up than he does all the other times Alfred tries to subtly snark him out.

“How long as this been happening for?”

“Since a month after Master Harper moved into his apartment.” So at least 6 months then.

Had Bruce really been not noticing for that long?

The answer is obviously yes. He hadn’t. But he didn’t think he was too engrossed in his work. It was important. And he knew Dick was looking after Damian, and Jason was always there for patrol when he asked.

And sure the three of them had been visiting Roy Harper a bit. But Roy had a baby about the same age as Damian, and as much as Bruce loathed that fact, he knew it made it easier to avoid awkward questions about who Damian’s mother is that would come up with other parents. And of course Jason would want to hang around his older brother and his friends. That’s just how younger siblings were wasn’t it?

“Where did I go wrong?”

“Do you want me to start chronological or alphabetically?” Alfred asks, dry as ever.

“How do I fix it?”

“Right now I suggest you wait until the boys get home,” Alfred says putting a plate of food in front of Bruce before sitting across from him. “And then honestly start to think about the reasons why you haven’t been letting Master Richard do anything to help you apart from looking after your son. And perhaps, you might be able to convince him into spending the majority of his time habituating a home here instead of at Master Harper’s.”

“You’re right Alfred.” Bruce had a lot to do in order to fix what had gone wrong.

“I often am.”

* * *

_Dick _

“So the weirdest thing happened while I was out getting drinks for dinner,” Dick says as he walks into the apartment. Handing the bag of shopping off to Roy so he can take Lian and Damian off his chest and back respectively. No point having one of them miss out on a shopping adventure when he could carry both.

“Yeah?” Roy asks as he takes the shopping to the kitchenette of the apartment where Jason was making dinner after point-blank refusing any help.

“Yeah the girl ringing my shopping up asked how many months old my ‘twins’ were.” It had surprised Dick because he never really thought that Lian looked much like him, at all, really. She had Roy’s red hair and Cheshire’s features, neither of which anything like Dick. Damian was similar – Bruce’s strong features and Talia’s skin and eyes. Dick clearly isn’t their parent.

“Yeah that is weird,” Roy says, coming over to take Lian and Damian once satisfied the soft drinks were in the fridge, and immediately being shooed out of the kitchen by Jason. “It’s not even that they look that much like each other.”

“I guess they both smell of me,” Dick says, going to get the plates and cutlery ready for when Jason finishes cooking.

“Guess some people really do think with their noses and not their eyes,” Roy agrees, putting the two babies down on their permanently set up play-mat in the living room. Once satisfied that they’re settled enough to not wonder, he comes and takes the cups from Dick’s hands to set them as well.

“Still a bit funny to think about – use raising them as twins.” It feels a bit like that already. With how close the two are and the fact both he and Roy have leaned on each other in support for help looking after the two babies. Still Dick does know that neither of the two babies are his and that he and Roy are just friends helping out friends.

He can’t risk thinking about feelings any different to that.

“Yeah. It is. Very funny,” Roy says, carefully, before grinning. “Although I think Bruce would really castrate me if that was the case.”

“He wouldn’t.” Dick knows as much as Bruce is an ass a lot of his coldness and intimidation is false bravado.

“He so would,” Jason adds in from the kitchen. “So I’d watch your back if I was you Roy.”

“Hey! I haven’t done anything that could bring the Bat’s ire down on me more than, you know, just hanging out with you two.”

“Haven’t done anything yet,” Jason says with a clearly pointed look at Roy. And Dick should intervene and tell him that even if he’s joking it isn’t really that funny, but the intensity dies down as easy as it came and Jason all but saunters over to grab his bowl from the table. “Dinner’s done by the way. Serve yourselves however much you want.”

“Thanks Jason.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m the only one here who can actually cook decent so we might as well take advantage of it. Saves us all getting take-out. Again.”

* * *

_Roy _

When Roy first brought the apartment he honestly though it would just be him and Lian in it for the foreseeable future. And, with his small budget, it wasn’t like ‘spare bedroom’ was exactly something he could contemplate. He had rented the smallest option available that could fit him and his daughter and figured that would work.

Now though the people living in the apartment was closer to him, Lian, Dick, Damian, and Jason.

He isn’t mad about those facts. He enjoys Dick’s company and Lian seems to like having Damian around. He isn’t even going to complain about Jason tagging along most times considering Jason can also cook better than he can and is willing to do so.

The point remains though that his tiny apartment is clearly too small for them all. Even when Jason isn’t there, if Dick and Damian are sleeping over then either Dick or Roy have to take the couch. When Jason is sleeping over, Roy and Dick have no choice but sharing a bed.

If Roy thought having a crush on Dick when he’s just in his apartment is awkward. Having him sleeping in the same bed as him with a crush is like 20 times worse.

There just isn’t enough room for them and Roy can’t really afford to pay for the rent for a new apartment that would be able to actually fit all them.

At least Jason’s Robin-gear is still at Wayne manor.

Roy and Dick’s stuff? That’s crammed into the top of Roy’s wardrobe. Which, honestly, it’s so much harder to create a new hero identity when you have to pack away your stuff every time you finish working on it on the living room floor out of fear of a baby finding and chewing on it. Right now Roy would kill for a base that he could just leave his stuff spread out in.

And, no, he isn’t going to ask Ollie or Bruce for one. He’s going to do this on his own. Even in that means living-room suit creation.

Which about brings him to-

“Fuck, no, Lian we don’t chew on that! Dick!?”

Roy pries Lian’s mouth off the rubber-guard that he was working on shaping to better fit within the holster he was working on. Putting it down on the table when he succeeds in prying it out of his daughter’s mouth, finding himself glad teeth aren’t really an issue yet as much as they probably will be soon.

Dick comes into the room and Roy can immediately tell he’s stressed.

“Sorry, I turned my back on her and she apparently decided to make her grand escape.”

“It’s fine,” really Roy is more than grateful to have Dick willing and able to watch Lian at all. She isn’t his responsibility as much as it makes things easy for the two of them to trade off supervising the two babies to get work done. “I should probably stop for the day, start cleaning up for dinner.”

“Probably,” Dick says, and Roy watches as he scans over the work Roy has done. Robin unable to not analyse a suit in front of him.

“What do you think?”

“It’s…” Dick stops and tilts his head as if in greater concentration. “It’s coming along, but I think I’m going to hold off final judgement until it’s closer to being finished.”

“Great, you think it sucks.” And Roy thought he was doing such a good job.

“I didn’t say that.”

“No, but you implied it,” Roy says, handing Lian over to Dick so he can start working on packing up.

“I mean, mine’s about the same.”

“You know what we need?”

“What?”

“An actual babysitter. Imagine how much work we could get done if the two of us could both be working on them without having to worry about pups getting in our way.”

“Yeah but who could we get to do that?” Dick asks.

“That bit I’m still working on. But once we figure it out? We’ll have these things done in no time.”

* * *

_Jason _

Jason’s life has reached the point where he gets to choose between two places to live. The only problem? One of those places is him having to deal with the city’s hero moping around because being rich means not even Batman is used to the consequences of his actions. And the other is him having to deal with two pining idiots who skipped straight to ‘raising kids together’ but missed the memo about them_ being_ together.

But, hey, at least there’s no court orders dictating when he has to be at each one so he can just trade off between them whenever one option gets on his nerves too much.

Of course Jason also gets to be Robin. And he’s pretty sure the greater percentage of kids in Gotham would put up with even worse pack politics than what is going on to get that.

Not that Robin isn’t all fun and games of course.

Sure, it’s mostly fun.

But there are certainly moments where it’s pretty damn boring.

Like stakeouts alone while Batman goes investigate another lead? Boring as all hell.

It’s just Jason on a rooftop watching a door across an ally. Sure, sometimes people walk in at times, but nobody walks out and that’s what he’s actually looking for.

Plus, it isn’t like Batman is here to notice that he’s running through thoughts while waiting and watching instead of giving it his complete undivided attention. He’s still doing his job of watching the door. It’s fine. He’ll still notice when someone leaves the door. It’s a pretty big door.

And he totally does when it happens fifteen minutes later.

Sure, it’s a startle. But he does notice when the door opens and three men walk out. Notices and jumps to his feet, racing after them while telling Batman through his comms that it happened.

It’s exciting. To finally get his adrenalin pumping and be able to do the thing he became Robin to do: fight bad guys.

It’s more fun when said bad-guys go down when he hits them and not when Jason ends up being thrown into a wall with all three of the bastards still standing.

He’s not one to just accept the blows and stay down. So he’s getting up when the other person drops into the ally and takes out the thugs. For a moment he thinks it’s Batman, but the person doesn’t move like Batman.

No, they move like Dick.

“Though you could use some help Little Wing,” Dick says after the goons are down. Standing there in what must be his new suit. And considering Jason knows Dick is the one to have designed the Robin suit this is a downgrade in flashiness. But it’s still… very flashy.

“Thanks for the help then, uh-” Look Jason knew Dick and Roy were making new suits and probably new identities but they hadn’t really talked much about what those identities would be called.

“Nightwing,” Dick says with a proud smile and Jason can guess this is a big deal for him. Being able to be out on the streets again fighting crime. And with an identity that doesn’t have to always default to Batman. “Now what was it you were chasing these guys for? And please tell me it wasn’t just because they were looking suspicious because I really want an actual case to start off with.”

“You’re in luck then, because I got one for you.” Jason can’t help but grin back at Dick with it. Because this? Oh this is going to be fun.


End file.
